Kari Lake VOA Cuts: Journalist Fears & NPR Report
Kari Lake‘s actions are leading to significant cuts at the Voice of America (VOA), jeopardizing the safety of journalists worldwide. The U.S. agency for Global Media is eliminating around 1,400 positions,impacting VOA’s ability to deliver news to restrictive countries. Journalists, especially those from repressive regimes, now face heightened risks of imprisonment and potential danger because of the cuts. These actions raise critical questions about press freedom and the future of objective news reporting. News Directory 3 examines the implications of this executive order. Discover what’s next …
VOA Faces Cuts, Journalists at Risk Amid Global Media Crackdown
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is eliminating approximately 1,400 jobs,or 85% of its positions,following an executive order issued in March,according to Kari Lake,a senior White House adviser. These cuts significantly impact the Voice of America (VOA), which has provided news and cultural programming to people in restrictive countries since World War II.
Lake stated that taxpayers have long funded an agency plagued by “dysfunction, bias, and waste,” and that this would end. However, former agency employees strongly disagree with the move.
Michael Abramowitz, the VOA’s director, said the actions would undermine the VOA’s role in delivering objective news to closed societies. Abramowitz is currently on leave but has not received a layoff notice.
Prior to these broader actions,Lake had already terminated over 500 contractors at VOA,many of whom were foreign nationals with valuable journalistic and language skills. Lake has also reportedly attempted to withhold funds designated by Congress for othre government-funded international networks, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
These actions have raised concerns about the U.S. government’s commitment to international journalists working for these networks, some of whom risk their lives to cover sensitive issues in their home countries. The Voice of America cuts threaten press freedom and the safety of journalists.
“I am very concerned about the fate of many of our journalists at Voice of America,” Abramowitz said. “The U.S. government has a moral obligation to do everything in its power to make sure those who worked on its behalf stay out of harm’s way.”
The situation highlights the dangers faced by journalists worldwide. Farid mehralizada, a Radio Free Europe/Radio liberty reporter, was recently sentenced to nine years in prison in Azerbaijan on charges that network executives and human rights groups claim are fabricated. Mehralizada,also an economist,said his reporting aimed to provide expertise on the country’s economic challenges.
“The only way to achieve lasting economic advancement in any country is for citizens to understand the essence of economic processes, to ensure participation in decision-making, and to guarantee freedom of expression,” Mehralizada stated. “Regrettably, journalism in our country today is almost equated with terrorism.”
Stephen Capus, president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has called for Mehralizada’s release. “RFE/RL’s U.S.-funded journalists work in some of the most dangerous environments imaginable,” Capus said. “Farid’s case is a tragic example of the risks that come with reporting uncomfortable truths.”
Other journalists working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty are also imprisoned in Belarus, Russia, and Russian-occupied crimea. Three Vietnamese freelance journalists for radio Free asia are serving prison sentences ranging from six to 11 years in Vietnam. Additionally, three Voice of America journalists are imprisoned in Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
VOA journalists who are citizens of countries with repressive governments fear returning home when their visas expire. Many are seeking asylum or other employment in the U.S., with colleagues offering support. These journalists, from Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, say they risk imprisonment or worse if they return.
One VOA reporter from West Africa, who requested anonymity, said media outlets in his country are shut down for critical reporting. He fears being seen as a spy for working with an international network. “They could kidnap me or [I could] go to jail,” he said, also expressing concern for his family’s safety.
Ivana Konstantinovic,a former news anchor and producer for VOA’s Serbian-language service,was terminated as part of the recent cuts. She noted that Serbia, while not as repressive as Russia, still presents challenges for journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists has reported an increase in attacks against journalists in Serbia.
“Serbia is a country where [the] government targets self-reliant journalists,” Konstantinovic said. “We were all invited here to D.C.because of our experience, language skills, connections with target audience, understanding of the political landscape, etc. VOA needed us.”
Jessica Jerreat, Voice of America’s press freedom editor, argues that the executive order sends the wrong message to these journalists. “Now they’re just discarded,” Jerreat said. “After this executive order, you’re no longer needed. It’s just a gut punch for all the service and expertise these people bring.” Jerreat herself received a termination notice and is suing the network.
What’s next
The future of the Voice of America and the safety of its journalists remain uncertain as legal challenges proceed and international pressure mounts for the protection of press freedom.